Diagnostic Urology Solutions
Urologists make use of a range of tests when diagnosing conditions affecting the kidneys, bladder, ureter, and other parts of the urological system. The intricate nature of the urological system means that common symptoms, including frequent and painful urination, lower abdominal pain, and pelvic discomfort, could have many potential causes. It is not uncommon for doctors to perform several tests before discovering what is really going on.
To perform these tests, clinicians naturally rely on equipment. Diagnosing an issue may involve taking blood and urine samples, conducting imaging tests, or monitoring urine flow.
Urology solutions make up just one of Paragon Care’s many product portfolios. As a leading provider of surgical equipment in Australia, we are proud to supply our customers with a number of high-quality devices to aid in the detection and diagnosis of urological conditions.
Diagnostic equipment
The function of the urological system is to remove waste from your blood, a process from which urine is created. The kidneys, pelvis, ureters, bladder, and urethra all contribute to this process.
A variety of things may cause urological disease. Old age is a common factor — for both men and women — and bacteria that enter the urinary tract can cause several different short-term and chronic problems.
Typically, when patients report symptoms of urological disease, clinicians will start by conducting blood and urine tests. The visual, chemical and microscopic aspects of urine can reveal a significant amount about the health of your urinary system. The equipment required to perform these tests includes everything from personal protective equipment (gloves and goggles) to reagents and centrifuges.
Another diagnostic approach is to use imaging tests, including a pyelogram, cystogram, sonogram, CT scan, or ultrasound of the kidneys, ureter, and prostate. These tests are designed to reveal any blockages that may be preventing organs from performing their essential functions. These blockages may be relatively harmless — as is the case with kidney stones — or could signal something more serious is afoot, like a tumour.
Imaging tests tend to require a combination of consumable devices and capital equipment. In the case of ultrasound, for example, a clinician will require access to both the ultrasound machine and a needle guide and probe cover to reduce the risk of infection occurring.
Traditional vs. point-of-care devices
Traditionally, clinicians performing these types of tests had to take the sample, send it away to a laboratory for testing and wait a few days to receive the result. This process ultimately delays the ability of the clinician to arrive at a diagnosis and recommend an appropriate treatment option.
While some tests still need to be performed in this manner, an increasing number of blood, urine, and imaging screenings can be conducted using point-of-care devices. These machines can travel with doctors — be it to a patient’s bedside or a regional clinic — and drastically reduce the period between when a patient reports their symptoms and when treatment can begin.
There are obvious advantages to this, including a quicker diagnosis, more appropriate treatment options, and improved treatment outcomes. Urology is just one of the many medical specialties exploring this type of diagnostic screening with point-of-care ultrasound machines and point-of-care blood chemistry analysers.
Paragon Care — your one-stop shop for urology solutions
Of course, the role of a urologist does not stop at diagnostics. Treating urological conditions requires equipment, devices, and consumable products. As a leading provider of surgical equipment in Australia, Paragon Care is proud to support our customers with an extensive portfolio of urological equipment.
Our range of consumable products include needle guides, covers, biopsy grids, and closed system transfer devices to support the safe delivery of hazardous drugs. The risk of infection remains high for urological conditions, as it does for any type of disease, and Paragon Care’s line of hospital grade disinfection products aid in the prevention of healthcare associated infection.
Laser and shockwave therapy devices can be used to great effect to treat everything from kidney stones to bladder cancer. Acknowledging that diseases and disorders affecting the urological system are often quite painful, our range of anaesthesia delivery systems, needle guides and specialty covers will help clinicians provide comprehensive patient care.
For more information about our range of urology solutions, contact the friendly and experienced team at Paragon Care today.